Typewriter platen for index cards



April 27, 1926..

C. GABRIELSON TYPEWRITER PLATEN FOR INDEX CARDS Filed May 8. 1924 by means of a set screw, while the opposite end of the shaft is provided with a crank handle 27 rigidly attached to the shaft by means of a pair of set screws 28 hearing upon a flattened portion of the shaft (not shown).

In order that the disk 19 may be rigidly connected to the platen so that the platen shall rotate with its shaft, the disk 19 is provided with an axially extending pin 29 which is adapted to be received in either of a pair of holes 80 in the outer face of the end plate ll. In order that the relative rotation between the platen and its shaft may be limited, there is provided a second axially extending pin 31 on the disk 19 which is adapt ed to engage in an enlarged hole 32 in the end plate ll. This pin 31 is of substantially greater length than the pin 29, so that upon the plate being moved to the left on the shaft, which movement is limited by the engagen'ient of the pin with the end plate 13, the pin 29 is withdrawn from one of the holes and the platen may then be rotated with respect to its shaft, its motion being limited by the engagement of the pin 81 with one or the other sides of the hole 32, the pin 31 being too long to be released by longitudinal movement of the platen with respect to the platen shaft.

The usual form of platen ratchet 33 is fixed against the outer face of the disk 19, surrounding the hub 21 of that disk and is maintained in position my means of a pair of screws 23% passing through arcuate slots 35 in the ratchet in order that its position may be altered with respect to the disk 19 and thus the platen. Engaging the outer face of the platen ratchet is a plate 36 provided with the extending lugs 37 adapted to co operate with axle pin of the platen ratchet spring roller 38 and thus form stops limiting the rotational motion of the platen in each direction to an arc of less than 180. This stop plate surrounds the hub 21 of the disk 12) and is attached to the platen ratchet by means of a pair of adjusting screws 39 passing through arcua'te slots in the stop plate and threaded into the platen ratchet. Arouate slots M) are provided in the stop plate in order to clear the heads of the adjusting screws 3-1- which retain the platen ratchet against the disk 19 in order that the inner face of the stop plate may tightly abut the outer face of the platen ratchet.

The rubber sheath of the platen is milled as shown at ell forming a fiat tangential surface parallel to the platen shaft and a radial butment or shoulder 42. The platensheath is further milledawa-y as at 43 to provide accommodation for a thin sheet of celluloid si l; and a metal strip 45 which is attached. by wood screwsG to the core of the platen and serves to retain the celluloid in position shown. Theouter surface of the metal plate 45 is substantially flush and forms a continuation of the arc of the platen sheath.

The celluloid flap or sheet i l extends for a distance about equal to twice the length of the milleo surface i1, and due to its inherent stillness assumes a position somewhat tangential to the outer surface of the platen sheath and parallel to the surface -11.

As shown in Figure 2, this celluloid flap has sutlicient resiliency so that when the platen is turned forward, it may bend and assume the curvature of the platen in order to pass between it and the paper guide trough 47.

A small pin 48 preferably formed of metal is driven into the platen and extends above the platen sheath at a point just above the abutment 42 and is of such a length as to engage the under surface of the celluloid flap it, and. its purpo'e is to form a stop for the index cards. They can be placed behind the celluloid flap and pressed down until they engage the abutment 42 and then slid to the left until stopped by the pin 418. In this manner all the cards can be exactly located upon the platen.

To use the platen for writing index cards, a card of the correct size is inserted between the celluloid flap and the platen, face up, as explained above, the crank 27 having been pushed upward and backward until the forward stop 37 has engaged the pin 38, thus stopping the platen with the celluloid flap in its rear or uppermost position. \V hen the car is thus in position, the crank handle is pulled forward until the opposite stop 8'? engages against the pin 38 when the card is in position for writing upon its top line. Slight adjustments to bring the typing at the desired position along the top edge of the card may be made by means of the adjustable feature for the stops 37, and at the same time the platen ratchet may be slightly shifted in order that the shifter pawl may properly engage one of the teeth thereof. In case it may be desired to write more than one line on the card, the platen can be line spaced in the usual way.

To accommodate cards of a different size, it is only necessary to move the platen to the left against the action of the spring and rotate it until the pin 31 steps againstone edge of the hole 32 and allow it to spring back with the pin 29 in one of the holes 30 which allows for adjustment for two sizes of cards without any change in the position of the stop arms 37.

From the above description, it will be seen that there is provided by this invention a material improven'ient in typewriter platens for use in writing upon index cards, for it be noted that the transpaig llil) flap formed of celluloid or other material adequately protects the lower cut portion of the index cards and. prevents them from becoming entangled in the paper feed mechanism, while at the same time allowing any 1narkings on the card to be observed. T he method of feeding the cards in face forward and top up from the front results in a decided saving of time and labor, for the operator can remove a finished card and insert a new one with the left hand without any loss of time, and as the new card is inserted. with the left hand the crank can be pulled forward with the right hand leaving the card in position to have its top line typed.

But one embodiment of this invention has been disclosed in the drawings, but it is to be understood that the. invention is susceptible of various modifications, and it is not to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a platen mounted therein, a longitudinal depressed surface on said platen having an abutment at one side thereof. and a flexible flap attached to said platen adjacent said abutment and extending over said depression for the purpose described.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a platen mounted therein, a longitudinal depressed surface on said platen having an abutment at one side thereof, and a transparent flexible flap attached to said platen adjacent said abutment and extending entirely over said depression for the purpose described.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combina-' tion of a carriage, a platen mounted therein, a longitudinal depressed surface on said platen having an abutment at one side there-- of, a flexible flap attached to said platen adjacent said abutment and extending over said depression to retain a card on said, platen, and means extending from said dcpressed surface beneath said flap forming a stop against longitudinal movement of said card in one direction.

4c. In a typewriting machine, the combina tion of a carriage, a platen mounted therein, a one-piece resilient sheath covering said platen, a longitudinal groove in said platen sheath defined by a radial and a tangential plane, and a flexible flap attached to said platen and extending over said'groove substantially parallel to the bottom thereof.

5. In a. typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a platen mounted therein,

a platen sheath having a longitudinal depression therein defined by a tangential plane forming the bottom thereof and a radial plane forming an abutment against which a card is adapted to be placed, a flexible flap attached to said platen and extending over said depression substantially parallel to the bottom thereof to retain said card in posi tion, and a stop pin extending from the bottom of said depression to the flap. I 6. In atypewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, aplaten shaftjournalled therein, a platen ratchet fixed to said shaft, a platen rotatably and slidably mounted on said shaft, means biasing said platen against said platen ratchet, and means to adjustably connect said platen to said platenratchet. I 7. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a platen shaft journalled for rotation in said carriage, a disc fixed to said shaft, a platen ratchet secured for rotational adjustment to said shaft, a platen freely mounted onsaid shaft, means biasing said platen against said disc, and means retained in position by said biasing means to adjustably connect said platen and shaft.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combinas tion of a carriage, a platen shaft journalled for rotation in said carriage, a platen ratchet adjustably secured to said shaft, a platen mounted for rotation on said shaft, means limiting said rotation, and means to adjustably fix said platen to said shaft.

9. In a t-ypewriting machine, the combination of a. carriage, a platen shaft mounted for rotation therein, a platen ratchet adjustably secured to said shaft, a platen stop adjustably secured to said platen ratchet, a platen mounted for rotation on said shaft, a stop member limiting the, amount of said rotation, and means to adjustably secure said platen to said platen shaft.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a platen shaft journailed for rotation therein, a disc fixed to said shaft, a platen ratchet adjustably mounted against said disc, a stop plate adjustably mounted against said platen ratchet, a platen slidably and rotatably mounted on said platen shaft, a springnormally maintaining said platen against said disc, a pin on said disc, a plurality of holes insaid platcn adapted to be selectively engaged by said pin to connect said platen and shaft.

11. In a typewriting machine, the com bination of a carriage, a platen shaft mounted for rotation therein, a platen ratchet ad just-ably mounted on said shaft, a platen ro tatably and slidably mounted on said shaft, a longitudinal groove in said shaft, an abutment at one side thereof, a flexible flap attached to said platen adjacent said abutment and extending over said groove, and

means to adjustably connect said platen to said platen shaft;

, 12. In a typewriter, the combination of a carriage, a platen shaft mounted for rotation therein, a disc fixed to said shaft, a platen ratchet adjustably mounted against said disc, a stop plate adj ustably mounted against & 1,582,081

said platen ratchet, a platen rotatably and slidably mounted on said shaft, alongitudinal depression in said platen, an abutment at one side thereof, a flexible, transparent flap attached to said platen and extending over said depression, a stop pin beneath said flap, a spring biasing said platen against said disc, a pin on said disc, and a plurality of holes in the end or said platen adapted to be selectively engaged by said pin. 10

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature.

CARL GABRIELSON. 

